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BBC Radio Foyle

From the North West of Northern Ireland -local news, sport, weather, speech and music

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The Nolan Show

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Breaking news and hard-hitting talk - Stephen Nolan gets you talking about the big stories of the day.

Breaking news and hard-hitting talk - Stephen Nolan gets you talking about the big stories of the day. Call Stephen on 03030 80 55 55 (standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply), text 81771 or email nolan@bbc.co.uk.

BBC Radio Ulster

The Nolan Show: Health service pressures sees St John Ambulance volunteers called in

Health

03/01/2018

Health service pressures sees St John Ambulance volunteers called in

BBC Radio Ulster - The Nolan Show, Health service pressures sees St John Ambulance volunteers called in

Health service pressures sees St John Ambulance volunteers called in.

Health service pressures sees St John Ambulance volunteers called in and an appeal on social media for off-duty staff to work.

Just before Christmas on this programme health chiefs warned us about the pressures being faced by hospital emergency departments over the festive period. And those warnings have turned into a grim reality for patients and staff as casualty units appear to be almost overwhelmed. The latest figures - confirmed by the Health and Social Care Board just after 7am this morning - show that the longest wait is at Craigavon Hospital - 495 minutes, that's just over 8 hours. The situation is so bad at Antrim Area Hospital that volunteers from St John Ambulance were drafted in to help relieve pressures. And the South Eastern Trust - which runs the Ulster Hospital - has taken to social media to appeal to its off duty staff to come into work. Vinny spoke to ED consultant Sean McGovern from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and Dolores Kelly, SDLP MLA for Upper Bann.

Also on the programme, a grieving mother had to be rescued by a stranger in a cemetery after sinking up to her knees in her baby son's flooded grave. Michelle Marshall was at the Ballyvester cemetery in Donaghadee to lay flowers and balloons on the grave to mark what would have been her sons 12th birthday. This is a story that was first reported on the website Belfast Live. Vinny has been speaking to her and she told us what happened.

And, the NHS in England is considering the routine use of so-called "drunk tanks" - dedicated areas for people who've had too much alcohol so they don't take up resources at hospitals or police stations. It's thought up to 70 per cent of weekend admissions to A&E over the festive period were for people who've drunk too much. So should towns and cities in Northern Ireland get their own drunk tanks? And if we do get them who should pay?

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